Epic Morocco Adventure-Part 3

An email from Trish owner of Bike Hike Adventures. She had gotten my email at 9pm, made several phone calls, reached Charlie at Epic Morocco, and everything was set up so that I was good to go. Thank goodness…She had called Epic Morocco in Marrakesh, who also made arrangements to have a driver meet me at the airport and take me to the nearest town to meet up with the group.
Bike Hike Adventures (+ 5 answered email at 9pm, called across North America, Altantic, all the way to Africa to set me up to meet up with the tour that I was going to be a day late for.
Epic Morocco (+5 arranging a driver to pick me up at the airport, and drive me to meet the group 2 hours outside of Marrakesh over a high mountain pass).
Yes, finally something was going my way and I was very happy to have researched such great adventure tour companies.
I am all set up to meet up with my tour, only I have no bike helmet, bike jerseys, no sleeping bag…the slightly important stuff. I asked the Hotel staff for outdoor sports stores and they point me to the mall of America. I go online only to find stores like Foot Locker (not really helpful). Just out of curiosity, I look up REI and find one miles in Bloomington, MN next to where I am staying. So I go to the Hotel counter and find they have regular trips scheduled to the Mall of America. After explaining my storing and presenting a map of where REI is, I meet the driver and he gladly agrees to help me achieve my goal of reaching all 7 continents. With my plane leaving at 1300, I had to be at the airport by 1100 (didn’t want to miss this flight). That left me with REI opening at 1000. The driver drops me off at 1000. I have 40 minutes to buy a 20 degree sleeping bag, 2 bike Jerseys, 2 shirts, a pair of shorts, socks to cycle in, bicycle gloves, a Hat, a camelback (or equivalent), 2 pair bike shorts, soap, soap container, first aid kit, and I figured I needed more than 2 pair of underwear for 9 days. To help the shirts and jerseys last longer without stinking, I choose merino wool for a jersey and one shirt, and socks. Well, since REI charges full price for everthing, $800 later and 40 minutes later, I get out of REI meet the shuttle, get to the hotel, load the new stuff in my new bag, and run back out to meet the shuttle and off to the airport.
I check the luggage (with tags still hanging) at the airport and walk through without any problems. Woah…something must be wrong. I get to the to boarding gate, and ask the agent to please verify I still have a seat. I have a seat…woohoo!!!!
Northwest Airlines (Minneapolis-section +1 I have a seat on a flight…finally).
I am told that I need to check in when I get to JFK at Royal Air Moroc Airlines and get that ticket there.
I get on the plane, am in the air without any problems…something was finally going right, I am going to get to Morroco…woohoo! Landing in JFK I had 4 hours, thankfully, because that is one huge airport. Nearly getting lost, I take a train to the right area, and find the Royal Air Moroc counter.
I hand them my passport, she types in the number and says, I sorry sir, I don’t see you on this flight…(until next post)